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Minutes - 2018 May 2018 Arizona Trailblazers Hiking Club Meeting Minutes May 15, 2018, 7:00 PM Old Chicago, 1656 S. Alma School, Mesa Welcome, Introductions Reports President [Tamar Gottfried] Tamar talked with our insurance agent, and will make sure that our policy is right for the club. The club might want to participate in trail maintenance. Dave will look into it. Treasurer [Tamar Gottfried, for Monika Hahues] As of May 15, the club has 154 paid members and a bank balance of $7,214.69. Our biggest bill, insurance, is coming. Webmaster [Ted Tenny] Our club has had 65 hike leaders over the years. My thanks to all of them! Statistician [Jim Buyens] So far in 2018, the club has hiked 4458 miles. Tamar is the top hike leader, Michael is the top hiker and carpool driver. Previous Hikes Mar. 24 Picketpost Mountain Superior Debbie Rowray Mar. 24 Bronco to Tonto Carefree David French Mar. 31 Gila River Canyons Kelvin Chuck Parsons Mar. 31 Lake Pleasant Regional Park Jim Buyens Apr. 7 Robbers’ Roost Superstitions Michael Humphrey Apr. 7 Scorpion-Pyramid Sedona Tamar Gottfried Apr. 14 Jim Thompson Trail Sedona Ted Tenny Apr. 14 Goldwater Lake Trail Prescott Jim Buyens Apr. 21 Salida Gulch Prescott Chuck Parsons Apr. 21 Groom Creek Loop Prescott Gabrielle McConnell Apr. 28 Bluff Spring Loop Superstitions Tamar Gottfried Apr. 28 Watershed Trail Prescott Jim Buyens Apr. 29-2 Backpacking Aravaipa Canyon Michael Humphrey May 5 Willow Lake Prescott John Richa May 5 Thompson Peak McDowells Debbie Rowray May 12 See Canyon Christopher Creek Chuck Parsons May 12 Mt. Ord Sunflower Debbie Rowray Upcoming Hikes May 19 Washington-Geronimo Mogollon Rim Dave French May 25-28 Pine Flat Camping Sedona Lin Chao Yen May 26-28 Phantom Ranch Grand Canyon Michael Humphrey June 2 << open >>     June 8-13 Mesa Verde Colorado John Richa June 9 AZT 28 Gooseberry Mogollon Rim Dave French June 16 Col. Devin Trail Mogollon Rim Chuck Parsons June 23 << open >>     June 30 Continental-Anasazi Flagstaff Ted Tenny July 7 << open >>     July 14 << open >>     Guest Speaker: Mark Schwab subject: Forest Service Abandoned Mine Lands Safety     Mark made a number of excellent points: •  Drowning is the most frequent cause of death in abandoned mines. •  No one knows where all the mines in Arizona are. •  The Coronado and Tonto National Forests have the most abandoned mines.. •  Bats are the usual life form whose habitat needs to be protected •  Owners let us close the mine, rather than assume liability. •  The 1872 mining law is still in effect. •  Hikers often see signs which mark mining claims. Next Meeting Tuesday, July 17, 2018, 7:00 PM Executive Committee, May 7, 2018 attendees:  Tamar Gottfried, Monika Hahues, Jim Buyens, Ted Tenny Complaints about hike leaders. No one can please everybody all the time. Complaints are bound to happen eventually, and will be handled by the Executive Committee on a case-by-case basis. Whistles. Michael Humphrey has most of the whistles. We don’t need to order more. Utensils/plates for camping trips. The club won’t pay for them, but will encourage everyone to bring their own. Insurance/liability review. Tamar contacted the insurance agent, but hasn’t received a reply. AI [Tamar] → Recommend changes if need be. Charitable Donations. Superstition Search & Rescue doesn’t exist any more. We might consider another organization, such as the Nature Conservancy. It shouldn’t be any organization that AZHC officers are connected with. Scholarships. This would add more administration, which the club doesn’t need. Radios. Some of them have AA batteries, easy to replace. Others have gotten separated from their custom chargers. Some of the hike leaders have their own 2-way radios. Ted has a battery tester at home, and uses it before leading a hike. AI [Ted] → Remind the hike leaders to bring club packs to the May 15 meeting. March 2018 Arizona Trailblazers Hiking Club Meeting Minutes March 20, 2018, 7:00 PM Old Chicago, 1656 S. Alma School, Mesa Welcome, Introductions Reports President [Tamar Gottfried] •  We have guest speakers for all the remaining meetings of 2018. • A discussion of announcements and full hikes yielded the suggestion that weekend emails be sent on Sunday, since many club members are hiking on Saturday. • Most other topics were from the Executive Committee meeting of March 15. Treasurer [Tamar Gottfried, for Monika Hahues] As of March 20 the club has 152 paid members and a bank balance of $6400. Webmaster [Ted Tenny] When your hike is full, promptly notify me so I can mark the description. Statistician [Jim Buyens] So far in 2018, the club has hiked 2284 miles. Top hikers are Lin and Debbie, top leader is Tamar, and top carpool drivers are Michael and Deve M. However, the results from two hikes haven’t been reported yet. Previous Hikes    Jan. 20 AZHC Awards Potluck Usery Mtn. Park Tamar Gottfried Jan. 27 Skyline Regional Park Buckeye Yanis Braukis Feb. 3 Alta-Bajada Loop South Mountain Dave French Feb. 3 Massacre Grounds Superstitions Tamar Gottfried Feb. 10 Wind Cave Superstitions Michael Humphrey Feb. 17 Cat Peaks Goldfields Ted Tenny Feb. 17 Go John-Quartz Cave Creek Jim Buyens Feb. 17 La Barge Canyon Superstitions Tamar Gottfried Feb. 24 Goat Canyon White Tanks Chuck Parsons Feb. 24 Little Pan Loop Black Canyon Jim Buyens Mar. 3 Parker Pass Plus Superstitions Ted Tenny Mar. 3 Fossil Springs Strawberry Tamar Gottfried Mar. 10 Superstition Ridgeline Superstitions Michael Humphrey Mar. 10 Badger Brawl Phoenix Gabe McConnell Mar. 17 Spur Cross Cave Creek Gabe McConnell Mar. 17 Picacho Peak Tucson Debbie Rowray Upcoming Hikes Mar. 24 Picketpost Mountain Superior Debbie Rowray Mar. 24 Bronco to Tonto Carefree David French Mar. 31 Gila River Canyons Kelvin Chuck Parsons Apr. 7 Robbers’ Roost Superstitions Michael Humphrey Apr. 14 Jim Thompson Trail Sedona Ted Tenny Apr. 21 Salida Gulch Prescott Chuck Parsons Apr. 28 <<open>>     Apr. 29-2 Backpacking Aravaipa Canyon Michael Humphrey May 5 <<open>>     May 12 <<open>>     Guest Speaker Tamar Gottfried, MD subject: Wilderness First Aid     Most students at the Wilderness Medicine certification course weren’t MDs but wilderness leaders of various kinds.     A WFR is a Wilderness First Responder. Tamar discussed what is needed in a WFR first aid kit. You have to decide whether the person can walk out. She demonstrated several ways of helping a person get ready to walk out, if they can. Next Meeting Tuesday, May 15, 2018, 7:00 PM at Old Chicago. Executive Committee, March 15, 2018 attendees:  Tamar Gottfried, Andy Zaharchuk, Monika Hahues, Jim Buyens, Ted Tenny Guest speakers for July 17 and September 18. AI [Andy] → Prepare a talk on GPS and PLB devices for July 17. AI [Tamar] → Contact “through hikers” about giving a talk on September 18. Whether to send signup sheets to Jim instead of Chuck. Jim needs them for the names and miles hiked. AI [Jim] → Contact Chuck to work out the details. AI [Jim] → Include any changes in an announcement to the hike leaders. Mutinous and spontaneous side trips. People who rode with the mutineer shouldn’t have to wait a long time for everyone to return. But if they all want to go along, that’s fine. It should be in the hike description. Submission of paperwork to the state, for our organization. Bill Zimmermann will continue to do this. Another lot of nominal club gifts. We’re running out of whistles. AI [Ted] → Contact Michael regarding whistles. AI [Ted] → Notify Monika if more whistles have to be ordered. AI [Monika] → Order more whistles, if they are needed. Insurance/liability review. Hike leaders need to be insured! AI [Tamar] → Ask our insurance agent. Recommend changes if need be. Equipment swap/trade/sell arrangements among members. This could be included in our annual awards potluck. Facebook page. The AZHC Facebook page serves only to direct people to our regular web page. Ted is in favor of leaving it that way, because •  Whenever you have the same information in multiple places, they get out of sync. •  He has enough to do maintaining our regular web page. Two or more official meeting places. Carpool drivers will have different distances. The closing of Starbuck’s in Fountain Hills made that meeting place less convenient. Shoe and water check. Several hikers have failed to bring enough water on a long hike. AI [Jim] → Send an email to the hike leaders reminding them to make sure everyone is carrying enough water, and has adequate footwear. Hikes full. Ted is not clairvoyant. Hike leaders need to notify him when the hike is full. Hikes and camping trips should remain on our web page, because they are a record of what the club has done. AI [Jim] → Remind hike leaders to notify Ted when the hike is full. AI [Tamar] → Contact the hike leader regarding an recent incident. Radios. Some of our 2-way radios won't hold a charge. Ted carries his own radio, which uses ordinary AA batteries, easy to change. AI [Jim] → Remind hike leaders to bring club packs to the March 20 meeting. January 2018 Arizona Trailblazers Hiking Club Meeting Minutes January 16, 2018, 7:00 PM Old Chicago, 1656 S. Alma School, Mesa Reports Outgoing President [Michael Humphrey] We had a good year in 2017, with 96 events and over 100 hikes. President [Tamar Gottfried] •  Meet at Red Mountain Park at 7:00 AM, or at Ramada C-1 at 7:45 AM. • Hikes will be to the Wind Cave, or on up to Peak 3127. • We need desserts for Saturday’s potluck. • Glass containers are not allowed in Usery Mountain Park, but wine is. • The club packs are being re-stocked at this meeting. • Use walkie talkies on a hike, especially when parties get separated. • Consider getting a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) for yourself. • If you have any medical conditions, tell the hike leader or me. Treasurer [Monika Hahues] As of January 16, the club has 152 paid members and a bank balance of $5812.45. Webmaster [Ted Tenny] The AZHC email list is now limited to paid members. Anyone can read the Events page at any time. Paid members will receive advance notice of camping trips which are not yet on the calendar. Statistician [Jim Buyens] Deputy leaders, appointed by the hike leader, now get 1/2 credit for leading the hike. Deputies are appointed in emergency situations, when there are options, and on key-exchange hikes. Previous Hikes    Nov. 25 Apache Wash Loop Phoenix Gabe McConnell Nov. 25 Elephant Mountain Spur Cross Michelle Jelsma Dec. 2 Robbers Roost Superstitions Michael Humphrey Dec. 2 Black Mesa Loop Superstitions Dave French Dec. 9 Go John-Quartz Cave Creek Gabe McConnell Dec. 9 Flatiron Superstitions Debbie Rowray Dec. 16 Haunted Canyon Superior Tamar Gottfried Dec. 16 Christiansen Trail North Mountain Jim Buyens Dec. 23 Tom's Thumb Scottsdale Tamar Gottfried Dec. 23 Perl Charles Trail Dreamy Draw Jim Buyens Dec. 30 Windgate Pass Scottsdale Monika Hahues Dec. 31 Marcus Landslide Scottsdale Jim Buyens Jan. 6 Maricopa Trail Cave Creek Cave Creek Jan. 13 White Tank Mountain WTMP Chuck Parsons Jan. 13 Sunrise-McKinsey McDowells Monika Hahues Jan. 13 Pinto Creek Bridge Miami Scott Green Upcoming Hikes    Jan. 20 AZHC Awards Potluck Usery Mtn. Park Tamar Gottfried Jan. 27 Skyline Regional Park Buckeye Yanis Braukis Feb. 3 Alta-Bajada Loop South Mountain Dave French Feb. 10 Wind Cave Superstitions Michael Humphrey Feb. 17 Cat Peaks Goldfields Ted Tenny Feb. 24 Goat Canyon White Tanks Chuck Parsons Mar. 3 Parker Pass Plus Superstitions Ted Tenny Mar. 10 Ridgeline Superstitions Michael Humphrey Mar. 10 Badger Brawl Phoenix Gabe McConnell Mar. 17 Spur Cross Cave Creek Gabe McConnell Mar. 17 Picacho Peak Tucson Debbie Rowray Guest Speaker: Ted Tenny subject: Great Hikes in the Superstitions     Ted presented slides from three Trailblazer hikes: Coffee Flat Mountain, Hackberry Spring to Canyon Lake, and Geronimo Cave. He didn’t find the Lost Dutchman Mine, but took colorful pictures of the volcanic mountain scenery. Next Meeting Tuesday, March 20, 2018, 7:00 PM, Old Chicago. Executive Committee, January 4, 2018 attendees: Tamar Gottfried, Andy Zaharchuk, Michael Humphrey, Bill Zimmermann, Jim Buyens, Ted Tenny Including appointed officers on the Executive Committee Jim Buyens, Statistician, was chosen. Awards Potluck & Hike, January 20 •  Who gets what? Award categories include miles hiked with the club, hikes led, and trips driven. AI [Jim] → Print the award certificates. AI [Monika] → Buy gift cards to be handed out for hikers and leaders. AI [Andy] → Buy gift cards to be handed out for carpool drivers. AI [Tamar] → Buy enough disposable plates, cups, bowls, silverware, etc. •  Should we have Hike Leader Training then?  no AI [Michael, Tamar] → Prepare a pep talk for new hike leaders. Speakers for March 20, May 15, July 17, September 18, November 20 We have a speaker for January, and possibly March. AI [Tamar] → Contact other potential speakers AI [Tamar] → Prepare a talk on the upcoming seminar. AI [Andy] → Prepare a talk on Devil’s Canyon near Superior. Should Ted limit the email list to paid members?  yes AI [Monika] → Send Ted the latest list of paid members. AI [Ted] → Rebuild the email list with paid members only. AI [Ted] → Re-send announcements of upcoming camping trips to paid members. Should deputies get credit for leading? Deputies are appointed by the hike leader in emergency situations, when there are options, and on key-exchange hikes. They will get 1/2 credit, because they led hikers but didn’t plan or organize the hike. Insurance It is our largest annual expense, but the officers aren’t sure what’s covered. AI [Monika] → Invite our insurance agent to a future Executive Committee meeting. New Hike Leaders AI [all] → Encourage potential leaders to become hike leaders. First Aid training. We had several emergencies last year, and should have all hike leaders trained. AI [all] → Think of the best way to accomplish this. Assessing and stocking club packs. Bring them to the January 20 meeting for re-stocking. AI [Ted] → Send an announcement to recent hike leaders. Swag with the club logo. AI [Ted] → Send Tamar the information on what we have now. Future Executive Committee Meetings AI [Tamar] → Look for a suitable location. Club History Minutes Archive Constitution & Bylaws AZHC Home Page  top of page updated May 15, 2018 Ted Tenny, Secretary